The moon shone brightly over the river, and the pleasure boat exuded a faint fragrance, with the river breeze gently caressing everything. Such beautiful scenery deserved to be accompanied by melodious sound, and A’Luo’s piece “Joyful” had a cheerful rhythm. Liu Jue found it utterly without charm as he listened. He glimpsed A’Luo’s eyes crescent with laughter, her small head swaying along with the tune, and couldn’t help but find it both amusing and exasperating. He thought to himself that this girl, while not openly angry, had plenty of subtle tricks up her sleeve. After the piece ended, before A’Luo could speak, he said, “I’ve heard your elder sister won the Crown Prince’s favor with a piece called ‘Autumn Waters.’ The Li family has generations of scholarly tradition—could you also play the zither? Looking out over the river at the moon, let’s have ‘Autumn Moon.'”

A’Luo, remembering how she’d played the zither in Qinglei’s place before, said, “I don’t know how to play the zither. Each of the three Li daughters learned a different skill—I only know the flute.”

The more she claimed she couldn’t, the more Liu Jue wanted to make things difficult for her. His eyes turned, and he said with feigned difficulty, “This young prince only wants to hear the zither. My mood had already improved greatly, and I was only waiting for you to finish a piece before settling all our accounts and never troubling you again. Yet you say you can’t play—what am I to do?”

No matter what he said, A’Luo, firmly remembering that admitting she could play the zither would surely plant future trouble, only shook her head. Seeing he couldn’t persuade her, Liu Jue said to a maidservant outside, “Bring a zither!”

Liu Jue sat by the low table, and with a sweep of his hands, a stream of zither music flowed out—he was playing “Orchid Pendant.” A’Luo saw that he too was someone accustomed to playing the zither, his skill practiced and fluent, and remembered this was the piece Chancellor Gu’s daughter had played at the Peach Blossom Banquet. Watching Liu Jue play with such focus, she thought to herself—so his resentment toward the Fourth Prince was because his beloved had been betrothed to someone else. She couldn’t help but say, “This was an imperial betrothal. Perhaps Zili had feelings for the Gu family’s young lady long ago—you were just too slow to act!”

Liu Jue placed his hand on the zither strings, and with a “twang,” the music abruptly stopped. “Liu Fei and the Gu family’s young lady really are a match made in heaven, perfectly suited to each other.”

A’Luo thought about it and said with a smile, “Indeed, I think they suit each other very well too—one plays zither, one plays flute, husband and wife in harmony, much better than someone sighing alone.”

Liu Jue didn’t get angry though. “Liu Fei probably hasn’t even heard the Gu family girl’s zither playing yet. He didn’t attend the Peach Blossom Banquet—he missed it.”

A’Luo picked up a cup of tea and sipped it slowly. “Not having heard it now doesn’t matter—when he does hear it later, he’ll be all the more delighted! The two of them, talented man and beautiful woman, as you said, are truly well-matched!”

Liu Jue said, puzzled, “Once Liu Fei has Gu Tianlin, will he still have thoughts to spare for you? Getting him to keep taking you out to dine every day will probably be difficult from now on.”

A’Luo was startled, then relieved—Zili wouldn’t marry Gu Tianlin until after the Crown Prince’s wedding, which wouldn’t be until next spring. Within this half year, she’d have enough time to earn her silver.

Thinking he’d struck a nerve, seeing how much she cared about Liu Fei, Liu Jue said coldly, “Learn to play this piece, ‘Orchid Pendant,’ and I won’t trouble you anymore.”

A’Luo blinked. “Actually, if you want to hear someone play this piece, I’m sure there are people on this pleasure boat who know it. Why insist that I play it for you? Besides, I really can’t play the zither—this piece is too difficult, I can’t learn it.”

Liu Jue said, “If you can’t, then learn until you can. If you can’t today, I’ll come to the residence again tomorrow to take you out, until the day you can.”

A’Luo glared at him. “Why are you so unreasonable? How can you force someone who can’t do something to learn it? Even if I learned it, could I play like the woman you love?”

Liu Jue said, “If the Gu family’s young lady played for me, I would listen with reverent attention. Even if she never plays for me again, having heard that one piece already felt like heavenly music—whether I hear it again or not no longer matters. You just need to play for me so I won’t trouble you anymore.”

A’Luo suddenly thought—after all, she was still a Chancellor’s daughter, not an ordinary commoner girl. Would Liu Jue really dare be this presumptuous? She smiled sweetly and drank her tea, remarking, “This tea has a light fragrance and a lingering aftertaste, and look at the clear golden color—what fine tea!” She avoided the subject of playing the zither entirely. Then, furrowing her brow as if remembering something, she said, “Looking at how the moon has shifted, it’s getting late. If someone recognizes me, that the Chancellor Li’s third young lady lingered outside so late into the night, do you think my father would be so angry he’d cough up blood, and go argue with the Emperor to have you punished?”

Seeing her scheme this way, Liu Jue chuckled softly. “Indeed. Your father, holding the position of Right Chancellor, if he heard rumors from the streets that his youngest daughter had spent time alone with a man on a pleasure boat until the moon reached its zenith—would he cough up blood in anger? Generations of scholarly reputation, a lifetime’s good name, all ruined by you like this? Tsk, tsk, what would he do then? Naturally he’d have to go find the Emperor.”

Liu Jue smiled mischievously and walked behind A’Luo, leaning close to her ear and laughing softly, “Go to the Emperor, and quickly arrange a marriage! Marry off this unworthy daughter as soon as possible. Of course, this young prince is an extremely responsible person—alone with the third young lady on a pleasure boat late at night, how could I let some ignorant fool ruin the third young lady’s reputation? The third young lady hasn’t even come of age yet—to ruin someone’s whole life like this, this young prince simply couldn’t bring himself to do it.”

A’Luo heard the sound of goosebumps rising on her neck. Suppressing the fear in her heart, she said to Liu Jue, “Fine, I’ll play. But I can’t possibly learn it this quickly—you’ll have to give me time.”

Seeing her yield, Liu Jue’s mood brightened greatly, and he laughed heartily. “No problem, this young prince has plenty of time. When you left the residence, your father specifically said to make sure you had a good time. Looking at how much time remains before the moon reaches its zenith—at least two more hours—with the third young lady’s cleverness, even if you can’t play it beautifully, you should manage to get through the piece without much trouble!”

A’Luo pouted. “I don’t know the zither at all, I don’t even know where the notes are. Take me home, and another day once I’ve learned it properly I’ll play it for you.”

Seeing her pout, Liu Jue felt secretly delighted and walked to the zither. “Come, this young prince will personally teach you the zither.”

A’Luo propped her chin very earnestly and watched him, asking about this note, that key. Seeing how patient he was, she asked all the more eagerly. In a flash, an hour had passed. A’Luo, tired of asking, and Liu Jue, tired of teaching—Liu Jue asked her, “Do you understand now?”

A’Luo shook her head. Liu Jue, exasperated, tossed the zither aside. “How can you be this dense?”

A’Luo looked at him with a wronged expression. “Young prince, teach me once more!”

Liu Jue, holding back his temper, patiently went through the five tones and pitches, the plucking and sliding techniques and finger positions once more in detail. A’Luo listened until she felt drowsy, forcing herself to stay alert while listening to him ramble on. Finally Liu Jue asked again, “Understand now?”

A’Luo was about to shake her head when she opened her mouth and yawned instead. She quickly covered her mouth with her hand. Her eyes darted to Liu Jue’s face—his expression had already turned cold. “So this whole time you’ve just been toying with me?”

A’Luo startled, all traces of sleepiness gone, and waved her hands at him. “Young prince, I truly have no talent whatsoever for the zither. I can remember a few notes—I’ll play them for you right now. As for playing an actual piece, no matter what, I simply can’t.”

Liu Jue said half-believing, “You can play the flute but not the zither? Nine out of ten young ladies in Feng City play the zither and play it well. Are you really such an exception?”

A’Luo began making up a story. “Apparently when I was a baby and did the fortune-telling grab, my eldest sister grabbed the zither and wouldn’t let go, my second sister grabbed a writing brush and wouldn’t let go, and I grabbed a flute. Later my second sister took up zither study too, though she could never match my eldest sister’s skill—and I, needless to say, know absolutely nothing about the zither!”

Liu Jue said, “Forget it then, what a letdown.”

Suppressing her joy, A’Luo looked at Liu Jue. “May I go home now? I’m tired.”

Liu Jue said irritably, “Let’s go, back home.”

A’Luo added, “From now on, remember we’re even—no more grudges, and I don’t owe you anything.”

The corner of Liu Jue’s mouth curved into a wicked smile. “How could I hold a grudge against you? Am I really that petty a person?”

A’Luo hastily flattered him. “Young prince, you’re so elegant and graceful, so refined and talented, with the bearing of a noble family—how could you possibly be petty?”

Liu Jue made a sound of acknowledgment, then suddenly asked, “Between the Fourth Prince and me, who is more elegant, more refined, more talented?”

A’Luo was startled, then answered immediately, “Each has his own strengths. Hehe, personally, I think you’re a cut above.”

Liu Jue smiled again. “To have earned the third young lady’s favor, I certainly won’t disappoint you.”

Seeing him speak strangely, as if with hidden meaning she couldn’t quite grasp, A’Luo could only go downstairs with him.

Reaching the second-floor staircase, the sound of zither music drifted out. Liu Jue paused to listen, and A’Luo listened along too. Liu Jue suddenly noticed A’Luo’s brow furrow briefly then relax. His expression returned to normal, but he found it quite strange—that had been exactly where the zither music made an error. Liu Jue thought to himself, perhaps it was coincidence. He couldn’t figure out why, but somehow, apart from her apology, he didn’t believe a single word this Chancellor’s third young lady said afterward, yet he couldn’t find any specific flaw either. Where exactly was it that felt wrong?

A’Luo returned to the Chancellor’s residence and immediately went to report to Chancellor Li. Chancellor Li looked at her with a smile, appearing extremely kind. “A’Luo, how did things go with the young prince today?”

A’Luo answered properly, “We dined on the Fragrant Flow Pleasure Boat, then I played a flute piece. The young prince didn’t say anything in particular.”

Chancellor Li chuckled. “The young prince is dashing and comes from an illustrious family—truly a good match. A’Luo, spend more time with the young prince.”

A’Luo suddenly thought—could she use this to go out of the residence openly and properly? She probed carefully. “The young prince has invited me again tomorrow. May A’Luo go?”

Chancellor Li was delighted. “Go, of course go. Dress up beautifully.”

A’Luo said with a smile, “Understood. A’Luo will go back to Tangyuan Courtyard now.”

Being able to leave the residence openly meant she wouldn’t have to worry about giving herself away while sneaking out. She really ought to thank the young prince for this opportunity. A’Luo laughed softly to herself on the way back.

Liu Jue returned to his estate and stared blankly at the portrait on the wall. Was wanting A’Luo to learn “Orchid Pendant” really because he still couldn’t forget Gu Tianlin? A’Luo’s eyes seemed to appear more and more vividly set into Gu Tianlin’s face. Liu Jue lay on the long bench, looking at those eyes, his fingers tapping lightly on the armrest. What exactly was it that felt wrong? After a moment, he summoned Liu Ying. “Go quickly and investigate the situation within Chancellor Li’s residence. I want complete information on this Chancellor’s third young lady. Also, starting tomorrow, have someone watch her. She knows some martial arts—be careful.”